The powerful, decked-out Amax Max64+ 5100 targets users who want everything in a system and don't mind paying for it. Built around a 2.2-GHz 64-bit AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 CPU and a whopping 2GB of DDR333 memory, this PC netted a 140 score on PC WorldBench 4--just two points shy of the fastest score we've recorded for a system with this processor. This computer's memory--double what we typically see--didn't boost its performance significantly on our benchmark, but it might help with tasks such as editing large image files.
The Max64 5100+ carries an impressive set of features, including a dual-format DVD rewritable drive and 240GB of hard drive space (consisting of twin 120GB hard drives connected to a RAID card. It also has an ATI Radeon 9800 XT graphics card with 256MB of SDRAM. The combination of a fast processor and the speedy Radeon 9800 XT helped this system blaze through our graphics tests, posting high frame rates at all supported resolutions. An included software utility helps enthusiasts safely overclock the graphics card; the utility lets you tell the chip to run as fast as possible without overheating.
This system is highly expandable: The tall tower has five open internal drive bays and two externally accessible bays for removable or optical drives. Our test unit also had five PCI slots, but only one was open. The system's array of ports includes six USB 2.0 (two up front) and three FireWire ports (one up front), plus an S-Video-in port on the graphics card for capturing analog video (software for this purpose is not included). An LED display on the chassis shows the temperature of the system's interior and CPU. If the temperature gets too high, the system shuts down.
The 19-inch Impression 9LSP LCD bundled with our system produced mixed results in our image quality tests. Fonts and letters were sharp and easy to read at all sizes, but skin tones had a faint orange tint that we couldn't completely correct using the on-screen controls. Colors in a DVD movie and on games were fine overall, though not quite as bright as those on competing brands. The panel of this bluish gray LCD can rotate from landscape to portrait mode, and software for rotating the screen image is included.
The Creative Inspire T5400 5.1-channel speakers, in conjunction with the system's integrated audio, produced full bass and clear, pleasing trebles during playback of a DVD movie and of vocal music.
The generous software bundle is geared toward home use more than toward an office setting: Microsoft Works Suite 2004, which includes versions of Word and Money 2004; a handful of games; and Ulead's Photo Express, a basic image editing app.
Amax conveniently organizes its software in a round CD carrying case and its documentation--including a thick manual with troubleshooting tips and upgrading information--in a tailor-fit box.
The Amax Max64 5100+ has impressive features and delivers great performance, but you'll pay handsomely for them.
Mick Lockey
